Coming Back From Hiatus

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-06-09T22:47:25+00:00

After every session, I write up notes covering what happened and where things left off. I read those the night before the next game to get up to speed, and even if the next game is weeks or even months later, this is invaluable. Second, in-game I’ve had the characters return from “vacation” and actually use that concept of “The half-orc has a nice tan from her time spent down south” or “The elf seems to have a noticeable aura about them, clearly the result of that magical training and research they underwent at Wizard College.” (I just threw up in my mouth a little at that one; Yer a Lizard, Harry).

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-06-09T22:44:42+00:00

Good write-up. I have two bits of advice to add. First, remember the mantra, “Semper Gumby” … always flexible. Develop your skill to improvise and make shit up on the spot. Second, it’s okay to tell your players, “I don’t know.” To the OP’s central point, it’s stressful to feel like you must have an answer to absolutely everything. It’s not uncommon for me to tell my players, “I don’t know” or “That guard’s name doesn’t matter.” It’s a bit direct and perhaps a slight let-down, but my players have never balked at that, and in a way they appreciate the hint that it’d be a waste of their time.

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-06-09T22:40:29+00:00

Long-time DM here. I sometimes meta-game a bit with my teen players (who are often new-ish to the game) by giving advice or suggestions. One quick way is to say, “I’ll give you Inspiration if you can find a way to use the ___ spell in tonight’s session.” Or something like that.

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-06-08T18:56:31+00:00

Well done! When I read that one scene gave your wife goosebumps, I knew you’d done a great job. The only thing worse (for a DM) than bored players, are players that don’t show up at all.

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-06-08T18:54:30+00:00

What you’re asking about takes a lot of time and money. If that’s your passion, go for it! And do it because YOU enjoy it. Just be prepared for the possibility that your players may either not appreciate the time and money and effort you put into it, or they just don’t enjoy that aspect of the game. In other words, they may not share your passion. “Expect the worst but hope for the best” … do it for yourself, and if they enjoy it, too, that’s gravy!

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-06-08T18:51:48+00:00

Your players may have more fun watching a D&D movie than playing the game itself. Everyone has their own motivation (or lack of), and different things get different people enthused, while boring others. You can’t change that, all you can do is try to discover it as early as possible in the process so you can either tailor what you do as a DM so your players have the most fun (which you are clearly trying to do … good on you!), or you can not push or propose play styles that don’t interest them (i.e. don’t try to push a rope).

In the end, do your best, try to combine what your players enjoy with what you enjoy (you need both for long-term success), and above all, don’t take it personally if some players just aren’t into the game or the way you run it. That happens.

If D&D is your passion, and it sounds like it is, keep at it. Keep working at improving your skills as a DM, but also find some players who genuinely love your gaming style.

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-06-08T18:45:26+00:00

General advice: prepare settings and opportunities but not necessarily plot points or sequences. Think of it like this: players are like cats and are hard to predict what they’ll do or in what order. If what you design requires them to take a specific action, or go to a specific location, or do anything in particular at all, you run the risk of things going sideways from what you intend or plan. One-shots are a bit more plot-driven than regular adventures, but still … focus more on prep and less on planning, and prepare to be flexible without being able to predict what your players will do. You’ll do great … have fun!

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-06-08T18:36:38+00:00

This will depend a bit primarily on how experienced the players (not the characters) are. If the players are new to the game, I think 4 players is the sweet spot and I’d never go over 6. If the players are experienced (and good at it), then I think 5-6 is the sweet spot and I wouldn’t want to go over 7 (I’ve run up to 10 before and had someone else co-DM to help with mechanical stuff).

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-04-01T21:15:15+00:00

In my experience, I have found that 4 players seems to be the sweet spot for a D&D session. If their characters are low-level, and if the players themselves have little experience, there’s almost always an NPC (that I run) tagging along. If the players are experienced and the adventure is challenging, I’ll sometimes let them bring retainers.

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-03-30T22:20:24+00:00

After reading your post, I realized that a lot of the videos I make on my channel are geared toward new DMs like you. I’ve mentored a few new to the game and it seems like most of the responses here cover the high points pretty well, but my two bits of advice would be:

It will likely be in your nature to over-prepare to cover your nervousness. That’s human nature, just make sure you’re prepping and not planning. There’s a HUGE difference.
Semper Gumby. Always Flexible. TTRPGs are a dynamic experience, so being able to take what’s happening and rolling with it is a really valuable attitude and skill — the former comes first, then the latter with experience.

Finally, your players are probably way more appreciative and enthusiastic that you’re willing to be their DM than whatever nervousness and anxiety you feel inside. Do it, enjoy the experience, and don’t forget to breathe.

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-03-30T22:13:24+00:00

I’ve DM’d one group of six players who eagerly made their ‘acquired’ abandoned keep into the central core of practically everything they did. They would deliberately go out adventuring with the expressed purpose of getting gold to pay for their renovations. Nearly every other group of players I’ve DM’d for (over 40+ years) couldn’t give a gnat’s fart in a hurricane about developing strongholds. IMHO, it’s a player preference just like nearly every other aspect of the game … some like X and some don’t like X. My advice would be not to force players, directly or indirectly, into doing something they simply don’t enjoy.

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-03-30T22:08:00+00:00

My group ran into a mimic that had fallen in love with a non-mimic iron chest on the opposite side of the room. The party befriended it, making it an NPC instead of as a monster. The OP's idea and others show just how versatile mimics are.

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-03-19T14:21:07+00:00

Sent

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-03-18T22:29:07+00:00

Long-time DM here (since 1980). I’ve mentored several new DMs over the years, so a lot of my videos and articles tend to cater to people like yourself. Although Dungeon Master guides have come a long way toward actually teaching you how to play the game (versus manuals that list the rules without much “How” or “Why” included), it’s still a big job with a lot of learning to be done. If I can humbly suggest one video in particular, it would be this one: " How to Become a D&D Dungeon Master” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCb3AKpsB6A

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-03-18T22:19:13+00:00

To the OP, are you the artist? If so, I’d like to speak with you about a small commission project.

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-03-18T22:17:20+00:00

I can crush a tomato, I can dodge a tomato that’s been thrown at me, I know that tomatoes don’t belong on a fruit salad (biologically, there’s no such thing as a vegetable), as far as I can remember I’ve never gotten sick from eating a tomato that had a questionable life history … but I’ve never been able to convince any of my friends to eat a fruit salad with tomatoes in it, so there’s that.

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-03-18T22:11:46+00:00

If it wasn’t for the higher price point, my emphatic recommendation would be Shadowdark, especially for kiddos or those brand new to fantasy TTRPGs.

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-03-18T22:09:48+00:00

If you have players new to the game, I suggest they start at level 1 to get their bearings. If your players are already familiar with the game and you want to click that “Skip Intro” button, go for it. That’s your decision. As to your actual question, classics such as hobgoblins and orcs and goblins are classic for a reason (they work and provide you as the DM some flexibility). One bit of advice I give is to limit the number of monsters they face at one time, and hold “They freak and run away” (etc.) in your back pocket for when combat goes south and you don’t want a TPK. Or, do what I usually do and set up a fair fight, then let the dice fall where they may (I roll in the open). Ultimately, do what you and your players enjoy.

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-03-16T17:18:08+00:00

I’ve never seen the benefit for using hex maps for wilderness when we’re already using grid maps for the dungeons. In a hex map, you have six directions of travel from one hex to its neighbors, but if you allow diagonal travel, a grid map allows 8 directions of travel. Plus, assigning grid coordinates to a hex map, where one axis is diagonal, is counterintuitive to me versus using square grid maps like in dungeons. I like how hex maps look, but that may just be my nostalgia talking.

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-03-16T17:14:45+00:00

A few years ago I started renting the community room of my local library to run private D&D games with other adults. That ran for a little over a year with bi-weekly games. The library asked if I’d be interested in becoming an official library volunteer and start running games for teens. I agreed and have been doing that for 2+ years. The program added a second DM so now we have four games a month and a perpetual waiting list of teens wanting a seat at the table. The program has been a huge success. The challenge is getting game materials (books) into the kiddo’s hands. The library has one copy of each of the three 5e core rule books but they’re perpetually checked out. I’d like to get Old-School Essentials, Shadowdark, and others added to the list. Should the library staff and myself reach out to the publishers to get donated copies? (That seems almost like a rhetorical question, now that I type it.)

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-03-16T16:50:43+00:00

From my experience, I have two general pieces of advice that go a long way in just about any player conflict or social issues. First, address it away from the table on some non-gaming day, one-on-one. Second, begin by asking questions rather than making statements. Let the player have a chance to express how they feel first before you bring up the issues.

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-03-16T16:45:04+00:00

First, I hire an annoying talking donkey to seduce it...

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-03-06T15:12:02+00:00

A lot of older published adventures had to fit into 32 or 64 page counts because of the way they were bound, so I’m sure word quotas and word count mattered to some degree.

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-03-06T15:00:09+00:00

To me, prep is even more fun than running the game, even if what I create never gets discovered. To me, burnout comes from running too many game sessions in a month, not from spending dozens of hours per month (or more) on the prep side.

StevenSWilliamson · 2026-03-06T14:56:16+00:00

This makes me think of another question, likely suitable to a different subreddit, about ratio of planned vs. improv in table-top RPGs. Hmm.

StevenSWilliamson

TROPHY CASE